Step inside Jake's Delicatessen, 1634 W. North Ave., and you might as
well be entering a time machine, a real-life "Streets of Old
Milwaukee." The clientele is different than it was 50 years ago --
this urban North side landmark was once the hub for a thriving Jewish
community -- but the booths are the same, the fixtures are the
same, and most important, the corned beef is exactly the same.
And that's just how the owners like it.

You're probably familiar with two out of the three of Jake's
owners. The newest partner is Brian Miller, whose family owns
Miller Bakery. The other is the Commissioner of Major League
Baseball.

Yes, Alan H. "Bud" Selig holds a stake in the business. In 1967,
Selig, Julius Atkins, Irv Kassof and the late Ben Barkin formed an
ownership group to preserve their favorite deli when it was sold by
Jake Levine. They didn't change a thing -- they simply bought the
restaurant to ensure that it stayed exactly as it was.

For Miller, a Fox Point native who thought he'd practice law in Chicago
-- then wound up returning home to work in the family business -- the
appeal of Jake's was part history, and part his love for "street
food." So when Atkins wanted to sell his shares in 2006, Miller
found himself ready to jump into the deli business.

"Jake's is a restaurant with a great history, old-school charm and
character, and serves terrific fresh street food," says Miller.
"To me, the definition of street food is great food -- better than
chain fast food -- that is accessible to everyone of all races and
socioeconomic groups."

In
fact, it's the classification of his restaurant, says Miller, that
could use a little updating. "Being that we have a very limited menu, I
wouldn't call us a deli anymore."

In the strictest sense of the word, Miller is right. Compared to
Milwaukee's other predominant deli, Benji's, lunch at Jake's might
consist of a corned beef or a pastrami sandwich and a cup of matzo ball
soup. Wash it down with a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda, and you're good
to go. Your choices are not exactly expansive.

And trendy health food it is not.

But is steeped with tradition, which is why Miller loves it, and
speculates that's the reason his partners do, too. Despite his busy
schedule, Selig still dines at Jake's regularly. It's typical to
see him having lunch with Sen. Herb Kohl.

That kind of passion, Miller says, makes Selig one of the most
down-to-earth business partners a young entrepreneur could hope for.

"He's been nothing but happy to answer questions and take my phone
calls," says Miller. "He really cares about the business."

Now, Miller and Selig, along with Michael Kassof (the son of Irv, who
runs the place on a daily basis), work to keep the tradition alive.

And in some ways, it even keeps growing. Though the makeup of the
neighborhood is completely different than it was when the deli opened
in the '50s -- Jake's has garnered one of the most diverse clienteles
in Milwaukee.

"I joke with people sometimes when I say that Jake's is the Elsa's of
the near West Side," says Miller. "Elsa's draws a lot of people
from different backgrounds, and I think Jake's does the
same thing.

"You'll be sitting next to a federal judge, sitting next to an assembly
worker next to a teacher next to a student -- all different races --
all sitting and eating in harmony. It sounds a little teary-eyed,
but it's true."

Would business be better for a Jewish deli if it was located, say, in Fox Point?

"I don't know," says Miller. "We're open 25 hours a week right
now, and we're busy from the moment we open till the moment we close."

More importantly, Miller says he remains committed to this neighborhood.

"This community was mostly Jewish and now it's African-American -- they have both supported us."

Miller, who is Jewish, says he's proud that this business is a part of
his heritage -- but he's actually more proud about what Jake's means to
Milwaukee as a whole.

"To me, the real story is that for the last 50 years, Jake's has
overcome the challenges of the neighborhood, the explosion of national
chains serving sandwiches and peoples' 'eat on the run attitude' to
remain very successful. We are a Milwaukee landmark, an
institution that needs to be recognized by the next generation of
Milwaukeeans, to ensure that another 50 years of great corned beef and
pastrami sandwiches will be served."

Though that doesn't mean Jake's isn't looking for new opportunities in the future -- including opening new locations.

"A natural progression for us is to be Downtown and to have more
accessibility to later-hour dining to capture some of the nightlife
business that we're not able to do at this location," says Miller.
"When the time is right, we're definitely going to try to gently expand
the menu, and we may offer some sausages or hand-cut French fries or
desserts -- to try to bring in some of the tourist business that maybe
has never heard of Jake's."

At the 16th and North location, though, rest assured: nothing is changing.

"We intend to be here indefinitely. We don't want to abandon what's made Jake's special."

More Information…

Talkbacks

Good News!
There is a strictly kosher restaurant in Milwaukee, in Fox Point/Bayside, with terrific corned beef, pastrami AND a 1/2 lb burger you can get with or without BBQ pastrami. It's too die for! The restaurant is Cafe Osher right off 43 east on Brown Deer rd. 333 W. Brown Deer Road, www.cafeosher.com

The service is always a problem at Jakes. You can't pre-order and forced to wait in such a long line. The guys behind the counter no nothing of short order. In NYC deli's you never wait but at Jakes it is forever. The only way to eat quickly is to sit down which isn't fair.

mmmmmm .... this corned beef is like liquid meat. falls apart in your mouth. so good. be not afraid, suburban folk, jake's is the real deal and a place that you gotta try. i would, though, love a second more downtown location. keep it up, jake's! milwaukee loves you.

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